Voyager Series - German Favorites

Great sample of southern German folk music:
This small collection (33+ minutes) of German folk music features songs and instrumental pieces from southern Germany (Bavaria, and possibly in part from Swabia). The singing is in rather heavy dialect, so even those with some knowledge of the language may not be able to grasp all of the words or their meaning. Still, the character of the music and its deeply rooted attachment to this region convey clearly to those of us who have visited or lived there a sweet feeling of nostalgia (perhaps somewhat bittersweet, for the simplicity of outlook depicted here seems doomed in this day of rapid development and urbanization). I suppose one might call this "travelogue music," and the CD is indeed part of the "Voyager Series" from the Allegro label. As such, I ordered it as a gamble, expecting little in the way of quality. Much to my surprise, the music is excellent and very well performed! The singing groups (mostly male or female trios/quartets) sing together, in tune, and with fine, sonorous vocal timbre. Accompaniments, where present, are small-scale and tasteful. (We hear the zither and guitar.) I'm reminded of the abundant German "Singvereine" (singing clubs) which bring together those who enjoy singing in groups and in harmony, somewhat reminiscent of the barbershop quartet societies in the US. In any case, the singers are well practiced and seem to love singing this music. Who can resist the charm of these performances? Only three of the tracks are purely instrumental; two are performed by typical "oom-pah" bands and the remaining one is played on jew's harps exclusively. As examples of their types, they leave little to be desired. (Well, perhaps a cool, foamy stein of beer would not be out of place.) I'll offer a brief note on each of the tracks: 1. "Hunting Is My Life" A fine song presented by a male quartet, with brief solo phrases, and accompanied by zither. 2. "Over the Alpine Pastures" An unaccompanied yodel-like song sung by a female trio; sweet and nostalgic. 3. The title seems to say "head for home." A strophic song by male quartet accompanied by guitar. Well sung, in fine harmony, with catchy words. 4. A spinning song beginning with "spin, spin, the spinner sits at a golden spinning wheel." It is sung by an unaccompanied female trio. 5. A Bavarian song, sung by male quartet with guitar accompaniment and a nice tra-la-la refrain. 6. A strophic song by unaccompanied male chorus, followed by an ending section with a yodel over slow, resonant vocal harmonies. The "Diandl" of the title refers, I suppose, to Dirndl, a Bavarian (or Austrian) young girl. If the second word is really two words, then the title might translate to "Girl, you're proud." 7. "Folk Festival Fun" The fine wind band with oom-pah bass and toodling clarinets plays an old type of folk dance called a "Ländler" (country dance), sounding something like a slowish waltz (in three-quarter time). Makes you want to link arms and sway from side to side. 8. Back to a male vocal quartet, with brief solo phrases, accompanied by zither. The song is about "church-day" (Kirchtag) in some little village. 9. Unaccompanied male group sings about summer, with a yodel-like refrain. Musically it's about singing lovely harmonies. 10. "When you walk through the valley" is what the male quartet sings here, accompanied by guitar. A strophic song with a yodel-like refrain. 11. Two jew's harps, tuned to C and G, are used to render this polka. The sound is interesting and pleasant enough, not to say rather unusual. 12. "All Secretly the Night Steals In" The unaccompanied female trio comes back to sing a simple strophic song, together and in tune. 13. "Pinzgau Stanzas" A simple yodel song by male quartet with guitar accompanying. Quite a few brief verses, each ending with a yodel. 14. "The Keen Hunter" A rousing finale by the wind band, which plays what sounds like a polka, but may be a march. Disclaimer: Since I have scant knowledge of the dialect, I can't be too sure of what these songs are about. I give my best guess, but it's not much more than that. Regarding the music itself I'm on firmer ground, but even here I can only report what my ears tell me, and I could, for example, be mistaken about the exact number of singers in a group. Overall, I find this to be a very good sample of a few types of folk music from southern Germany. The four or so groups featured here perform very well, and are apparently professional, semi-professional, or dedicated and talented amateurs. The musical accompaniments are very well played. Though there is less than 35 minutes of music here, the budget price makes this a good deal, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to those who want to enjoy a little flavor of this most gemütlich part of the world.